


in this country that be a proposal of marriage

by mockturtletale



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Other, TUBES, best friend duties, friendly threats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-26
Updated: 2012-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 07:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1850212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mockturtletale/pseuds/mockturtletale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesus," Colten pauses, forehead wrinkled in contemplation, "this is way more complicated than I'd thought. There are all kinds of emotional ties at play. Not to mention balls to juggle."</p>
            </blockquote>





	in this country that be a proposal of marriage

"We've met before, Tubes. We've _played_ together before," Ryan points out, levelling Colten with a look that's both challenging and assertive.

Taylor had paled and taken a half step behind Jordan, when he'd been on the receiving end of this. Jordan is charmed and not all that surprised to find that Ryan is more than capable of handling it all by himself.

Colten seems similarly impressed. He slings an arm around Ryan's shoulders.

"True. But that was as teammates. You were Nuge to me then. You're Ryan to me now."

Ryan doesn't shake Colten off, but he glances between his hand on Ryan's shoulder and the minimal space left between them as if to make it clear that he could.

"And what's the difference, there?"

Colten laughs, lifting his hand to ruffle Ryan's hair, which Ryan allows.

"Well, my friend, I play hockey with Nuge. I buy Nuge beers when we go out in Edmonton, and I secretly suspect that _Nuge_ is part robot. Ryan, on the other hand, is dating my best friend. As such it is my solemn and sworn duty to kick Ryan's ass if he ever so much as makes my best friend, or my good friend, his other boyfriend, frown. Jesus," Colten pauses, forehead wrinkled in contemplation, "this is way more complicated than I'd thought. There are all kinds of emotional ties at play. Not to mention balls to juggle. I salute you gentlemen, but seriously, if any of you ever hurt one another then I might just have to hurt you all because anything else is too confusing. Are we clear? Don't hurt Jordan or Taylor, don't make me think harder than a hockey player should have to. Deal?"

Ryan snorts quietly, and rolls his eyes at Jordan before shrugging Colten's arm off and stepping away to grab Jordan's hand.

"Jordan and Taylor are big boys, Tubes. Adults, even, depending on the day and the task. They can look out for themselves. Sorry to deprive you of the chance to defend someone's honour, but I really don't think it'll ever come to that."

He squeezes Jordan's hand, and Jordan smiles at him, not having to correct him or add anything, because he's already said pretty much everything that needs to be said. Tubes is more attached to this gesture than the sentiment behind it at this point, and they all know it. Jordan likes that Ryan respected the threat enough to respond to it seriously, but did so to let Colten know that they all see right through him. Not for the first time, and definitely not for the last, Jordan finds himself a little awed with admiration for one of his boyfriends. He squeezes Ryan's hand back.

Colten looks at their hands and then nods solemnly, holding the expression for all of four seconds before his face cracks into a huge grin.

"This one handled it much, much better than Hallsy. I still say he teared up. Celebratory 'everybody loves everybody else' drinks?"

"You're buying, tough guy," Jordan says, pocketing his phone and heading out to put his shoes on.

Ryan hangs back, and Jordan is zipping up his hoody when he hears him speak again, in low tones. Being the upstanding moral young man that he is, Jordan tiptoes back to the doorway in his socked feet to listen.

"- love them, too, Tubes. I wouldn't ever hurt either of them. You've got my word on that."

"You're a good man, Nuge," Tubes replies, quiet and kind, "still totally suspiciously good at hockey though."

Masked by the noise of the small scuffle that ensues, Jordan slips away again and is back at the front door by the time they emerge, both flushed and smiling and looking at him with bright eyes - looking at him like he’s something precious.

________________________  



End file.
